Open Your Eyes
by Eleantris
Summary: ...Even with the tubes and the blood and the bandages, on top of the unflattering hospital gown and her pale, lifeless face – she was still beautiful. A short oneshot written to Snow Patrol's 'Open Your Eyes' - Set after the Series Two finale.


_**This is written to one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, if you haven't heard it – go listen. It's set at the end of the Series 2 finale. Enjoy and drop me a review at the end!**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own Ashes to Ashes, the BBC does. I don't own these lovely lyrics either, Snow Patrol does and I suppose they have every right too. **_

_**Open Your Eyes**_

* * *

Gene placed a hand on the door to the room he knew contained her. Most likely hooked up to no end of bleeping and pulsing machines, a gaping bullet hole in her gut. Because of him. All because of him and his stupid, angry, misjudged aim. Never in his life had Gene Hunt missed his shot, and it was just blood typical that the one time he did, he hit the only thing he ever loved.

Operation Rose had threatened to take her away from him and that had made him angry...but now it was him that was dragging her away from himself. He might as well drive a knife into his own heart. He was furious and all this pent up rage was beginning to pulse under his skin, boiling his blood and causing tears of anguish to rise behind his storm filled eyes. Not here. He couldn't lose control here, not when she lay in that bed, no doubt looking beautiful yet strangely fragile and vulnerable as ever. Her captivating, hazel eyes firmly closed. Because of him.

Gene let out a long, ragged breath and pushed down on the handle of the door. He was well aware of the dried blood on his hands, the salty, rusty scent coating his shirt and trousers where he'd knelt beside her. The sickly, red substance was all just a painful beacon of what he'd done.

_All this feels strange and untrue  
And I won't waste a minute without you  
My bones ache, my skin feels cold  
And I'm getting so tired and so old_

He'd been right. Even with the tubes and the blood and the bandages, on top of the unflattering hospital gown and her pale, lifeless face – she was still beautiful. Impossibly, painfully and infuriatingly beautiful. A ruined angel.

And he – he was like the devil. An old, tired and good for nothing devil. He should have known when to give up, when to pack it all in and leave it all behind. He was a selfish devil, ruining her and everyone around him like some sort of contagious plague. But there was something that made him cling to her, like a sinner to a priest – begging for forgiveness. And looking at her like this...so hopelessly breakable, her previous fire all but disappeared...it truly broke him. His bones ached for her to wake up and in that instant, with the too slow bleeping of the heart monitor – Gene Hunt aged by about twenty years.

_The anger swells in my guts  
And I won't feel these slices and cuts  
I want so much to open your eyes  
'Cause I need you to look into mine_

Deep scars seemed to wreck their way through his tired body and his eyes refused to blink until they stung, the pain almost unbearable. He challenged himself not to feel anything, to stop this aching guilt in his chest and throw away the bile rising in his throat. He just wanted to look into those glorious amber eyes and know that she was ok. That she would live. That she would not die on his account. But something deep down inside him told him that would never happen.

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

He repeated the phrase over and over, muttering it under his breath. 'Open your eyes, Bolly.' But she just laid there, gorgeous....and unresponsive. He reached out a veined, rough hand to take her pale, slender one and caressed her soft, perfect skin with his coarse flesh. 'I'm sorry, Bolls.' He whispered roughly, willing her to hear him.

He'd give anything, everything for her to just wake up and allow him to see her eyes and witness the life in them. He didn't even care if she hated him, if she cursed him and told him she never wanted to see him again. He didn't give a bloody damn if she landed him in that god forsaken jail and he never saw again. So long as she was alive and breathing and her beautiful eyes were still there and open on her perfect face, he would be satisfied.

_Get up, get out, get away from these liars  
'Cause they don't get your soul or your fire  
Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine  
And we'll walk from this dark room for the last time_

They'd been betrayed, secrets had lurked in the dark corners of CID and torn them apart. All he'd wanted to do was drag her away from all that, but then when he'd thought she was involved....some part of his heart broke away, a part he never knew existed. The part that loved her.

But now she lay here, close to death due to his bullet. He needed her to wake up, look into his eyes and take his hand, allow him to lead her away from this dark life to where the light remained. Somewhere – he didn't know where, neither did he care. As long as she was alive.

_Every minute from this minute now  
We can do what we like anywhere  
I want so much to open your eyes  
'Cause I need you to look into mine_

He'd let her do whatever she liked, they could do anything together. They'd run and run and run until it was all far behind...if she wanted that. He needed her. He could waste a single minute without her presence. He just needed her to look into his eyes and see the regret there, the pain that swirled in their stormy depths...the love that lingered behind his pitch black pupils.

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

Gene leant forward, his hand still knotted with hers and he pressed a soft, feather-light kiss to her hairline. 'I didn't mean ter do it, Bolly. Please open yer eyes and tell me yer alrigh', I'll leave then, if yer want me ter.' He told her quietly, breathing in the scent of her that had become so intoxicating to him.

'Open yer eyes, Bolls.'

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

'We never did get a chance, Bolly. Bloody divs kept getting in the way of what I wanted ter say. Guess I'll never get a chance now...' He muttered, wondering whether or not there was the slightest chance in hell that she could hear some of what he was saying. He was bleeding his flaming heart out here.

'Sorry, Bolls...yer don't know wha' a stupid prick I think I am at the moment.'

Suddenly, Alex's eyes opened. Her eyelids fluttered before his very eyes and struggled open, her eyes meeting his. 'You're not a stupid prick....you're a bloody bastard with the worst aim I've ever seen.' She muttered.

A tortured expression of guilt and hurt was painted clearly on Gene's face. 'I know, Bolls.' He got up to leave, but a cold hand reached up to stop him, touching his cheek.

He sat back down to see her smiling weakly at him. 'I know you didn't mean it, Gene.' She said softly, tracing her thumb over a scar near his mouth. 'I heard you...what you said.'

Gene's eyes widened as he glanced down at their hands, fingers still entwined on the pristine hospital sheets. He swallowed, not knowing what to say to her. 'I'm sorry, Bolls.'

'They're going to put you in jail, aren't they?' Alex asked sadly, her hand tightening around his until the pain of her grip was beginning to cut off his blood flow. But he didn't care – she could cling to him all she liked.

He nodded and his breath caught due to the lump in his throat. But it didn't matter – she was alive. He held on to her eyes, the amber warmth within them and the utter life they held. He kept that in his memory and burned it into his eyelids – he couldn't forget.

* * *

Two weeks later and Gene was laid in an unknown hotel room somewhere in the middle of the country – far away from anything but her. It turned out he'd never had to let go...because she'd sneaked out of that hospital as soon as she could and gone with him, before the lazy sods in the police force even got around to arresting him. And it didn't matter to him where he was, as long as she was here, in his arms like she was now – her naked back up against his chest, her hair tickling his chin as his strong arms encircled her small, perfect frame, pulling her to him and he vowed never to release her.

_All this feels strange and untrue  
And I won't waste a minute without you_

* * *

_**Review?**_


End file.
